Martin Freeman reveals how he nearly blew ‘Sherlock’ audition

Martin Freeman has revealed that he nearly blew his audition for the role of Dr Watson in Sherlock.

Freeman plays Sherlock Holmes’ trusted companion on the BBC series, which is set to return on January 1, 2014. However, in an interview with the Radio Times, the actor said that he almost missed out on the part because he had had his wallet stolen shortly before his audition.

“I’ll admit maybe I was a bit stressed,” he said of the incident. “But a week later my agent rang and said, ‘Listen, this Sherlock thing, they’re sort of under the impression you weren’t that into it.’ And I said ‘Oh … I am really interested. Please call them and let them know that I am interested.”

He added: “I wasn’t being blase about it at all. I just wasn’t on my best day. So I came in again, read with Benedict and it instantly worked, it seemed to me … I thought he was a fantastic actor and there was something about our rhythms, similarities and differences that meant that it just happened.”

A mini-episode of Sherlock was revealed earlier this week, ahead of the premiere of the third series. You can watch the seven-minute short by clicking below.

The first series of Sherlock aired in summer 2010, with a second run following in early 2012. Since then, the show’s stars have become increasingly in demand. Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, while Benedict Cumberbatch has roles in several high-profile films, including Star Trek Into Darkness